(The Open Group, Boston, MA, www.opengroup.org) Formed in 1996 as the merger of the Open Software Foundation (OSF) and X/Open organizations, The Open Group is dedicated to promoting open standards and providing certification in a variety of areas, including the Unix operating system and Common Desktop Environment (CDE) user interfaces. See Single UNIX Specification and CDE.
Founded in 1984, X/Open was dedicated to developing specifications and tests for open system compliance. X/Open was involved in unifying the Unix operating system into the Single UNIX Specification. It held the UNIX trademark (upper case letters) on behalf of the industry, which passed to The Open Group.
Founded in 1988, the OSF was a coalition of vendors and users that delivered technology innovations in all areas of open systems, including OSF/1, a Mach-based operating system, the Motif GUI and the DCE platform. See Motif and DCE.
The Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 or Windows 10 is a vital configuration editor that allows you to change settings organization-wide. Primarily it’s designed for IT admin can change the advanced settings of a remote computer. However, if you have an administrator account, you can open Group Policy Editor in multiple ways, and manage your computer and network.
These are the methods you can use to open the Group Policy Editor on Windows systems:
Before you begin, you should know that the Group Policy Editor is available in Windows 11/10 Pro, Windows 11/10 Enterprise, and Windows 11/10 Education editions only, and not in Windows 11/10 Home.
See this post if Windows cannot find GPEDIT.MSC. If you are using Windows 11/10 Home edition, you need to add the Local Group Policy Editor to your computer.
Read: How to search Group Policy for specific GPO in Windows 11/10.
If you use it often, it is best to create a shortcut on the desktop and even assign a hotkey.
You can also assign a hotkey to it, and you can start it using a keyboard combination.
If you are a power user who uses Command Prompt or the Power Shell, here is a nifty solution for you.
Make the WinX Menu show PowerShell instead of Command Prompt.
Then open Win+X and select Windows Power Shell (Admin).
Or you could search for CMD and choose to launch it with admin privileges.
Type “gpedit” and it will open the GPE in a few seconds.
Probably the easiest method, and also the most common one.
It is useful for those who use the Control Panel for almost everything to manage the computer.
Which method to open Group Policy Editor is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
Related read: How to repair a corrupt Group Policy in Windows 11/10.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has established an expert focus group to work towards international technical standards for the metaverse.
The focus group offers a venue to start laying the groundwork for technical standards that can help create an underlying technology and business ecosystem that encourages market entry, innovation, and cost efficiency in a sector expected by some industry analysts to grow to a value of nearly $800-billion by 2024.
“The metaverse and its layers of technologies can help human development and progress,” says ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “The work of this ITU focus group is the first step in ensuring that these technologies work well and that they work for all. The benefits of the metaverse should be shared broadly and equitably, and the risks should be well understood and addressed.”
Metaverse standardisation roadmap
ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies, is mandated by governments to expand digital connectivity and promote sustainable digital transformation.
The ITU focus group aims to develop a roadmap for setting technical standards to make metaverse services and applications interoperable, enable a high-quality user experience, ensure security, and protect personal data.
“Standards development must be driven by everyone that will rely on the resulting standards,” says Seizo Onoe, director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardidation Bureau. “This focus group will support our work together to envision technology use cases for the metaverse, determine the associated technical requirements, and develop standards that help meet these requirements on a global scale.”
Public-private expert consultation
Uniquely in the United Nations family, ITU brings together a global membership of 193 Member States and over 900 member companies, universities, and international and regional organisations to work on issues such as technical standardisation.
ITU focus groups, open to all interested experts, accelerate standardization by leading intensive studies in areas of rapidly evolving strategic importance. The metaverse focus group will be active for one year and will conduct “pre-standardisation” work as a basis for developing new ITU standards.
To stimulate cohesive metaverse standards development, the focus group aims to elaborate common terms and definitions and promote collaboration among relevant standards bodies. The group will report to the ITU Telecommunication Standardisation Advisory Group.
“The establishment of this focus group is very important to define in a timely manner the standards that contribute to a secure and interoperable metaverse and enable growth and prosperity,” says Abdurahman Al Hassan, chairman of the ITU Telecommunication Standardisation Advisory Group from the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) of Saudi Arabia.
Welcome to Smithsonian Open Access, where you can explore and reuse millions of digital items from the Smithsonian’s collections (2.8 million at February 2020 launch). We have released these images and data into the public domain as Creative Commons Zero (CC0), meaning you can use, transform, and share our open access assets without asking permission from the Smithsonian.
What will you create?
Open access is a unique opportunity to bring Smithsonian collections to people in new ways, to engage with the public, and provide important context for challenging 21st-century issues. With Smithsonian Open Access, we’re increasing the public’s ability to use millions of digital assets—2D and 3D images and data. Open Access items carry what’s called a CC0 designation. This means the Smithsonian dedicates the digital asset into the public domain, meaning it is free of copyright restrictions and you can use it for any purpose, free of charge, without further permission from the Smithsonian. As new images are digitized, if they are determined to be copyright-free, the Smithsonian will dedicate them as CC0 ongoing.
CC0 is a designation used by cultural organizations to waive copyright rights that it may have for a digital asset. The Smithsonian is using CC0 to tell people that they do not need the Smithsonian’s permission to use the digital asset in any way. CC0 only applies to copyright so you may still need someone else’s permission to use a CC0-designated digital asset. For more information, see the Smithsonian Terms of Use.
Since the Smithsonian’s founding in 1846, its mission has been clear: “the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” We want to empower people everywhere to participate in that mission with us in new and innovative ways for the 21st century.
Smithsonian Open Access invites you to discover a world where you can learn, research, explore, and create in ways you couldn’t before. By making our trusted collections easier to access and use, we hope to inspire people to build new knowledge to understand our world—past and present.
Open access applies to digital assets that are created, stored, or maintained by the Smithsonian. This might include text, still images, sound recordings, research datasets, 3D models, collections data, and more.
We want to make as many of our assets open access as possible, but some items are not part of this program and their use is restricted. These assets may be restricted for various reasons including:
We invite you to download, share, and reuse our open access assets for art and creative projects, education, scholarly research, digital media projects, publications, merchandising, and more—all without charge or restrictions from the Smithsonian. Third-party or legal restrictions may still apply to your use (see the Smithsonian Terms of Use).
Visit our "Open Access Remix” page for examples of creative and innovative projects based on our open access collections.
Yes, you may use Smithsonian Open Access assets designated as CC0 for commercial purposes without any attribution, permission, or fee paid to the Smithsonian. While you do not need the Smithsonian’s permission to use open access content, you are responsible for obtaining any third-party permissions that may be required for your use. For example, a third party may claim rights in the content such as trademark, privacy, or publicity rights. You are fully responsible for your own lawful use of these materials and for not infringing on the rights of third parties.
If the item is not designated CC0, you must still obtain prior written permission from the Smithsonian for commercial use.
Yes! But please note our names are not part of the release! It’s important not to confuse the public about who is running the account. In other words, don’t make it look like an official Smithsonian account when it is not. Here’s how: avoid using our names (the Smithsonian, SI, or any museum name) in the account’s name, address, display name, handle, nickname, or other field. Be sure also to avoid acronyms, like SI or NMAfA or NMAAHC, because the Smithsonian uses those for its URLs and social media accounts already. But of course, you may mention the Smithsonian in the bio section where you explain how your bot operates (i.e., draws from one museum or another) and/or why you are sharing these images and information.
Assets marked with “usage conditions apply” may be used for personal, educational, and other non-commercial uses consistent with fair use (see the U.S. Copyright Office Fair Use Index). You may not use any assets with usage conditions for commercial purposes. For more information, see the Smithsonian Terms of Use.
Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning, and research materials in any medium that reside in the public domain. This means they have been released under an open license that permits free access, adaptation, and redistribution by others. Visit the Smithsonian Learning Lab to learn more.
No, the Smithsonian logo and other trademarks are not included in the open access program and may not be used without our prior written permission.
Yes. The Smithsonian is committed to releasing over 3 million items throughout 2020 alone. Beyond 2020, it will add more items on a continuing basis as they are digitized, researched, and published online.
The Smithsonian respects the rights and sovereignty of the diverse cultures Smithsonian collections represent. The Smithsonian engages with these communities about the use of these assets, so culturally sensitive content may not be Open Access now or in the future. Please view the Smithsonian Open Access Values Statement to learn more about the Smithsonian’s core values in adopting and executing the Open Access Initiative, now and going forward.
Please note that the language and terminology used in this collection reflects the context and culture of the time of its creation, and may include culturally sensitive information. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution, but is available in its original form to facilitate research. For questions or comments regarding sensitive content, access, and use related to this collection, please contact openaccess@si.edu
The Smithsonian strives to make all visitors feel welcome. The Smithsonian Open Access Initiative is committed to ensuring the accuracy and accessibility of its collections and data as stewards of the nation’s collections. With the Open Access Initiative launch, the Smithsonian worked on assessing and developing a near-term roadmap to address the gaps in access to Smithsonian data and collections for users (or visitors) with physical and cognitive disabilities. Enhancements to the Smithsonian digital collections platforms were made to Boost mark-up and visual accessibility factors. Future open access phases will be dedicated to establishing new accessibility processes across the Smithsonian’s collections museums, libraries, archives, and research centers with the development of a detailed roadmap.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, included in the open access data, set adheres to FAIR principles. FAIR is a guiding principle for Smithsonian Open Access and the Smithsonian implemented Global Unique Identifiers across the Smithsonian’s collections as part of our efforts to implement FAIR.
Look for the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) icon on Smithsonian websites and third-party sites:
If an item is not designated as CC0, it is subject to usage conditions.
Open access items designated as CC0 do not require attribution or citation, however, it is helpful to provide basic credit information to the Smithsonian, as well as a link to the asset, so others can obtain the latest image and data. In general, we recommend a “minimal” caption of title, author, source, license, and source URL.
If an item is not designated as CC0 and still has copyright or other restrictions, it should be cited with the URL "www.si.edu," in addition to all copyright and other proprietary notices contained on the materials.
You may wish to cite images and data from the Smithsonian's collections for educational and scholarly or other publication purposes. Consult si.edu/search, metadata associated with an object and the application programming interface (API), or data from the GitHub repository for information that can be used for citations.
Please Note:
A credit line features the name of an individual or a group of contributors which have been the source or donor of an object in the collection of the Smithsonian.
An accession number is the Smithsonian's official inventory number of records that is an object’s identifier in the collection. This number is helpful for identifying a work especially for study, research, and publication purposes.
Citation of the Smithsonian’s CC0 or restricted media and data does not imply endorsement by the Smithsonian, nor does it grant permission to use the Smithsonian's trademarks without prior permission.
You can find our CC0 assets in the following places:
You can access open access metadata and register for an API key via the Smithsonian’s public API hosted on api.data.gov. Documentation regarding fields, departments, and data types is available through the API as well. Portions of metadata are made available for all digital images of public domain objects whose underlying work is in the public domain, including a URL to a corresponding image file. Objects in the Smithsonian’s collection that may have copyright or other limitations have portions of metadata with CC0, but no media file is provided by the Smithsonian due to limitations.
Users can also access the Smithsonian's collection data via a GitHub repository. Detailed documentation is available along with the data formatted in .JSON. Please note that the Smithsonian does not support pull requests. Data is refreshed at a weekly rate, so please check often for the latest revisions.
CC0 Smithsonian collection data and media are also available from Figshare, Internet Archive, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikidata.
Please note where the record is from as the Smithsonian has 19 museums, nine research centers, archives, libraries, and a zoo. If there is no contact information on the record pages, please reference the contact list here.
Visit the Smithsonian Open Access home page to explore open access media and data. Visit the Collections Search Center or Smithsonian Unit websites for advanced search features. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, send a request to Rights Contacts.
The phrase, “no known copyright restriction,” means the Smithsonian is unaware of any copyright restrictions on the media and data, based on our best efforts and available information. Restrictions may still exist, however, so if you decide to use the asset without clearing all rights, you will be responsible if someone else owns the rights and objects.
No. However, we’d love to hear how they use them by sharing at openaccess@si.edu or #SmithsonianOpenAccess.
For questions about a specific collection asset, please contact the specific museum or program associated with the asset listed on the Rights Contacts page.
If you are seeking permission to include assets with usage conditions in a commercial product or other item of consumer merchandise, or to have a bran partnership with the Smithsonian, please contact the Office of Product Development and Licensing, rightsmanager@si.edu. If you are seeking to use Content with usage conditions in a film or video product, or for general assistance with filming requests, please contact filmingcommittee@si.edu.
If you are seeking permission to use the Smithsonian names or logos or include Content with usage conditions in a commercial product or other item of consumer merchandise, please contact the Office of Product Development and Licensing, rightsmanager@si.edu. If you are seeking to use Content with usage conditions in a film or video product, or for general assistance with filming requests, please contact filmingcommittee@si.edu.
For image sizes or formats that are not available online, please contact the specific museum or program associated with the asset listed on the Rights Contacts page.
Please contact the specific museum or program associated with the asset listed on the Rights Contacts page.
No. Written confirmations or license agreements will no longer be issued for open access assets.
You may link to a Smithsonian website; however, you must present the link in a manner that does not supply the impression that the Smithsonian endorses, whether expressly or implicitly, any products, services, or opinions provided on your website and that the link contain a clearly written notice that the user is leaving your website and accessing another. For linking, please use a text link, not the logo.
No. You may obtain and use any open access asset without further permission required from the Smithsonian.
Yes, so long as you:
If that is the only commercial aspect of your website or blog, you may post the Content with usage conditions on that site consistent with these Terms of Use.
No. You may not use the Smithsonian logo or other trademarks without the Smithsonian’s prior written permission.
Contact us at openaccess@si.edu.
NASA Science Discovery Engine (SDE)
In 2018, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) declared a long-term commitment to championing open science through their Strategy for Data Management and Computing, 2019 – 2024. The Open Source Science Initiative (OSSI) emerged from this strategic plan. One major recommendation from the scientific community was for the SMD to develop a capability to “support discovery and access to complex scientific data across [SMD] Divisions” that enables open science.
Three years and close to 1,000,000 documents, datasets, and tools later, the Science Discovery Engine (SDE) has fulfilled this goal and is ready for launch.
The SDE provides an infrastructure for vast quantities of NASA science information to be available and searchable in a single location, making it easier for science community members to collaborate and accelerate their work. Constructing the SDE is a key step in NASA’s process of establishing and encouraging open science practices; data and information from across the SMD’s five divisions (Heliophysics, Earth Science, Planetary Science, Astrophysics, and Biological and Physical Sciences) can be searched, filtered, and accessed. The beta version of the SDE went live on the SMD website in December 2022, and the SDE was presented to attendees at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2022 Fall Meeting.
“To me, the most exciting thing about the SDE is how it makes the rich wealth of NASA’s open science data and information more accessible to an ever-growing community of users,” said Kaylin Bugbee, leader of SDE team operations and a NASA research scientist and member of the OSSI team. “This increased accessibility will open new pathways to scientific discovery and encourage more people to make use of the open science data and information NASA provides.”
The primary SDE development group operates within NASA’s Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT), which is located at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and is a component of NASA’s Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program. SDE team members collaborated with several external partners to construct and refine features of the tool.
The Enterprise Data Platform (EDP) and Mission Cloud Platform (MCP) teams within NASA’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) assisted in deploying the powerful search capabilities of the SDE. To ensure broad representation of NASA science efforts, the SDE team coordinated with a working group comprised of members from all SMD divisions. The working group continues to help identify content for potential inclusion in the SDE and provides guidance on future project development. The SDE team also works with Left Right Mind, a digital design consulting firm, to craft user-centered web interfaces.
Compiling and organizing information included in the SDE presents many challenges. First, the SDE team works to identify relevant data and information from a vast network of resources across NASA’s SMD. The team then considers how to develop useful categories for encompassing such a wide range of topics. Depending on the specificity of a query, thousands of search results may be generated that include links to datasets, models, images, videos, software, or data analysis tools.
To refine the search process, the SDE team developed an SMD vocabulary extraction workflow that leveraged more than 50 glossaries, thesauri, and keywords across the SMD to generate term lists such as platforms, instruments, and missions. These lists are then used to create SMD-relevant filtering options to allow for guided exploration in the SDE.
Bugbee notes that consolidating NASA’s science content in the SDE will assist researchers. “Before the SDE, information about science at NASA was spread out over 128 unique sources,” she explains. “These sources included websites, data repositories, code repos, and document archives. For data specifically, over 84,000 science data products were found at [more than] 30 different repositories, making it a challenge for new scientists to find data they may not be familiar with. The SDE will make the scientific process more efficient by decreasing the amount of time required to search for data and information.”
Now that the SDE is available to the broader scientific community, Bugbee and the SDE team hope that it will quickly become a go-to source for reliable, accessible science information. They anticipate that the application will foster significant collaboration and innovation within and across science disciplines.
“This is only the beginning for the SDE,” Bugbee said. “While we have brought in over 128 science information sources into the SDE, we plan to bring in more data and content in the coming months. We also plan to add enhanced features to the user interface and to further develop the SDE application programming interface [API].”
See for yourself, and explore the power of the SDE.
The 2023 Australian Open is in full swing, with some of the biggest names in tennis convening at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia for two weeks of heated competition. If you're hoping to tune in to the action, keep practicing to find out how to watch the Australian Open from the U.S.
Top products in this article:
Best budget streaming service for live sports: Sling TV, $20 (reduced from $40) for your first month
Watch on ESPN: Get ESPN+ with the Disney bundle, $13 per month
So far in the tennis tournament, Rafael Nadal made his earliest exit from a Grand Slam since the 2016 Australian Open after losing to Mackenzie McDonald on Jan. 17. This year's men's competition is missing Carlos Alcaraz and Marin Cilic due to injury.
On the women's side, the 2022 Australian Open winner Ashleigh Barty is not present to defend her title due to her exact retirement from the sport. Venus Williams was set to compete but had to pull out due to injury. Naomi Osaka, who recently announced her pregnancy, will not be present but "can't wait to get back on the court."
Despite the absence of some of tennis' biggest stars, there's still plenty of action worth watching at the Australian Open. Here's what you need to know:
The Australian Open runs from Jan. 16 through Jan. 29, 2023. The competition got off to a rocky start after heat and rain forced 22 matches to be rescheduled on Day 2, but players are powering through and the competition will continue.
The men's and women's competitions run simultaneously. The women's final is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28. The men's final is set for Sunday, Jan. 29.
To find out more about the can't-miss matches, Australian Open schedule and more check out the coverage from our sister site, CBS Sports.
You can stream coverage of the tennis tournament with ESPN+, Sling TV and more. Here's what you need to know about each option.
Australian Open coverage is brought to the US by ESPN. If you don't have a cable subscription, you can stream their coverage by subscribing to ESPN+ for $10 per month.
However, our recommendation for the best way to subscribe to ESPN+ is through the Disney bundle. The Disney bundle includes ad-supported access to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $13 per month, meaning you can tune in to Australian Open coverage, and stream Season 3 of "The Mandalorian" through the same subscription.
This low-cost live TV streaming platform offers access to more than 40 channels, including ESPN, Disney, BBC America, Comedy Central, Discovery, MSNBC, NBC Sports, Syfy, FS1, TBS and Fox (based on your local available channels).
Right now, new Sling subscribers can get half-off their first month of any Sling tier. That means you can tune in to the 2023 Australian Open for just $20 this month.
Sling TV, $20 (reduced from $40) for your first month
Though FuboTV offers a wide range of more than 100 channels, its main focus is sports. The streaming platform's most popular subscription plan provides access to ESPN, plus the NFL Network, NBA and NHL games and Fox (based on your local available channels).
FuboTV plans start at $65 per month. FuboTV currently offers new subscribers a seven-day free trial.
Need a new TV to catch all the Australian Open action? We found plenty of deals on top-rated televisions.
Transform your TV into a piece of art when you're not watching football. The Frame smart TV has a built-in motion sensor that activates your device to display your favorite pieces of art in 4K resolution whenever you enter the room. This QLED TV produces 100% color volume in the DCI-P3 color space, which is the format for most cinema screens and HDR movies for television. (Translation: Colors on this TV will be more vivid and true-to-life.)
55" Samsung 'The Frame' smart TV, $1,400 (reduced from $1,500)
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Your TV should sound like you're in the stadium. The Samsung 4K Neo QLED includes top-of-the-line features, including a premium audio technology called object-tracking sound (OTS). With OTS, your television analyzes the action on screen and tries to replicate a surround-sound experience without any external speakers. The Samsung 4K Neo QLED also features a built-in Alexa assistant.
55" Samsung QN85A 4K Neo QLED, $1,100 (reduced from $1,600)
According to the brand, this LG TV designed to compete with Samsung's "The Frame," features a gallery design that "hugs the wall." This smart TV is meant to blend in seamlessly with any other wall art you might have.
The OLED TV features 4K-upscaling, a Filmmaker Mode to enhance your viewing experience with Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos, plus built-in access to Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV plus, Disney plus and LG channels.
An Amazon customer called the TV "the best 4K panel I've ever owned." "The panel actually does look like wall art hanging in my viewing room," they commented.
65" LG G2 series OLED evo Gallery Edition smart TV, $2,197 (regularly $3,000)
The 65-inch Sony Bravia XR OLED 4K TV features a cognitive processor meant to deliver intense contrast with pure blacks, high peak brightness and natural colors. Thanks to its Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology, the screen is the speaker. This smart TV comes with access to Google TV, and works with most voice assistants.
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This 75-inch Amazon Fire TV offers a 4K UHD display and enhanced color and clarity thanks to Dolby Vision. The TV also supports voice control with Amazon Alexa. It's high-quality picture quality and large size make this TV a solid choice for football fans -- plus it's hard to find such a big screen at such a low price.
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This top-rated TCL Roku TV is an ultra-affordable option that uses th user-friendly Roku interface.
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65" TCL Roku 4K smart TV, $368
A mid-size television, 55 to 65 inches along the diagonal, is the ideal size for many living rooms. The best viewing distance for a 55-inch 4K TV, such as this model, is between 4.5 and 7 feet. That leaves enough space for people to get up and walk by for more snacks from the gameday spread.
Amazon Fire 4-Series TV 55" 4K TV with Alexa built in, $400 (reduced from $520)
The Smithsonian was established in 1846 for “the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” The Smithsonian Open Access Initiative furthers this mission to empower people around the world to participate in the pursuit of new knowledge with contemporary technology. The goal of the Open Access Initiative is to increase the utility, discoverability, and accessibility of the Smithsonian’s trusted collections and data to empower the public to innovate and build new knowledge to help solve today’s challenges.
The Smithsonian Open Access Initiative supports and responds to the Institution’s purpose of increasing and diffusing knowledge through the following core values:
We expect you will uphold these same values as you use, share, and build new knowledge with these resources.
Thursday, February 2, 2023
Effective March 1, 2023, the Stark Law’s Self-Referral Disclosure Protocol (SRDP) will include a new Group Practice Information Form for physician practices to report noncompliance arising from a failure to fully satisfy the Stark Law’s onerous definition for a “group practice.” The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) intends for the changes to reduce regulatory burden and streamline the disclosure process by allowing practices disclosing the failure to qualify as a group practice to submit a single Group Practice Information Form covering all physicians that submitted non-compliant referrals, rather than a separate Physician Information Form for each physician.
First introduced in 2010, the SRDP allows providers to report existing or potential Stark Law violations to CMS, which has the authority to reduce the amount that would otherwise be due as a result of submitting claims prohibited under the Stark Law. The primary reason that a provider might opt to use the SRDP is the likelihood of a reasonable settlement. Another significant benefit of using the SRDP is that it suspends the 60-day deadline to report and return overpayments. On the other hand, a major downside of the SRDP is that CMS has been extremely slow to close out disclosures. There have been, by some estimates, several thousand self-disclosures submitted, and, as of the end of 2020, CMS has only closed out 524 disclosures. (369 were settled, and 155 were either withdrawn or closed without settlement.)
The Stark Law’s definition for a “group practice” is among its most difficult provisions to understand and apply, but it is also one of the most important. For example, the definition permits a practice that qualifies as a group practice greater latitude than other entities to pay physicians using productivity bonuses and profit shares. Moreover, a group practice can utilize the Stark Law’s in-office ancillary services exception, which permits physicians in the group practice to refer ancillary services (e.g., imaging, certain durable medical equipment, etc.) to other members of the group practices.
However, the group practice definition includes a number of technical requirements. For example, the Full Range of Services test requires that each physician in the group practice furnish substantially the full range of patient care services that the physician routinely furnishes through the joint use of shared office space, facilities, equipment, and personnel. The Substantially All test requires that 75% of the patient care services provided by physicians in the group must be furnished through the group and billed under the group’s billing number. Because the requirements to qualify as a group practice are numerous and challenging from a compliance standpoint, technical noncompliance with the group practice definition is frequently the subject of SRDP disclosures, according to CMS.
Under the revised SRDP, physician practices can report Stark Law noncompliance arising from the failure to qualify as a group practice using the new Group Practice Information Form. Specifically, if a practice intended to qualify as a group practice in order to use the exceptions for physician services or in-office ancillary services, but these exceptions were not available to the practice because it failed to meet all the criteria to qualify as a group practice, the noncompliance can be disclosed using this form. Importantly, the new form can only be used to disclose the failure to qualify as a group practice and should not be used to report noncompliance with the requirements of a Stark Law exception, including the exceptions for physician services and in-office ancillary services.
Though the Group Practice Information Form has a limited applicability, it should streamline the process and reduce the paperwork, because CMS only requires submission of a single Group Practice Information Form covering all physicians in the practice that made non-compliant referrals. Otherwise, the disclosing party must submit separate Physician Information Forms for each physician covered under the self-disclosure, even if the factual details for each physician are identical.
The Group Practice Information Form requires the practice to identify and describe the specific circumstances for each element of the group practice definition that it failed to satisfy. For example, if the group practice failed to satisfy the Full Range of Services Element, the practice would need to identify how many physicians and the percentage of physicians in the practice that failed to furnish substantially the full range of patient care services that the physicians routinely furnish. The Group Practice Information Form also requires the disclosing physician practice to submit a single spreadsheet with information about the physicians who made prohibited referrals to the practice, including statements on:
whether each physician is or was an owner, employee, or independent contractor of the practice;
whether each physician received compensation in a manner that was inconsistent with the group practice requirements; and
a description of the period of noncompliance for each physician.
Though the latest revisions to the SRDP are minor, the Group Practice Information Form should streamline the process and provide some relief to physician practices disclosing noncompliance with the group practice definition – a discreet yet frequently occurring – issue.
©1994-2023 Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. All Rights Reserved.National Law Review, Volume XIII, Number 33
Our experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here's how). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.
Though all investors should check on their portfolio's performance, it's especially important to do so if you're an active, self-directed trader. Since the markets can be full of twists and turns, you'll want to make sure your investment strategy is working in your favor.
If there's a stock you're thinking of adding to your portfolio, or if you're looking to sell an asset at a set price during a certain date, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the holidays and early closures of the major US stock exchanges so you won't get caught off guard when those times come.
We've included a list of holidays that the stock market and bond market are closed, as well as a list of days each market has early closures.
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The stock market is closed on February 20, 2023, or Presidents' Day. The bond market is also closed. Both will open for regular trading hours on Tuesday, February 21.
The stock market's regular trading hours are weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. However, the market will close as early as 1p.m. ET on the day before or after certain holidays.
Plus, you may be able to trade during pre-market hours (4 to 9:30 a.m. ET) depending on your brokerage or investment platform. The same goes for after-hours trading. This is available from 4 to 8 p.m. ET.
But the available hours may vary depending on your broker. For instance, SoFi Invest only offers pre-market trading from 9 to 9:30 a.m. ET, but it provides extended hours trading from 4 to 8 p.m.
There are slight variations with trading hours and holidays/early closures when it comes to the bond market. Its pre-market trading hours take place from 4 to 8 a.m. ET, its regular hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, and its extended trading hours occur from 5 to 8 p.m. ET.
Below, we've also listed its holidays and early closure dates for 2023:
Unless you're using international stock exchanges or electric communication networks, you probably won't be able to trade during the weekend or on holidays when the market is closed. However, you can still perform basic functions in your account.
You can check balances, monitor your portfolio's performance, or initiate deposits or withdrawals. Keep in mind, though, that you won't be able to place any orders until the market reopens. Plus, the rate at which fund deposits or withdrawals complete depends on your brokerage's hours.